Chengdu and Airbnb partner to promote tourism

Airbnb and the Chengdu City today announced a strategic partnership to boost tourism in Chengdu, one of China’s largest cities. The signing ceremony was held today at the Chengdu World Unicorn Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summit.

Chengdu is the capital of China’s Sichuan province and one of the three most populous cities in Western China. By 2020, the number of domestic tourists to Sichuan province alone is expected to exceed 1.1 billion.

Through the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Airbnb will leverage its global network to promote Chengdu’s unique culture to domestic and international travellers, and help establish Chengdu as a world-class tourist destination.

Under the MoU, the parties have agreed to:

Expand tourism in Chengdu through Airbnb’s global platform

Work with the Chengdu Municipal People’s Government to promote the city as a world-class tourist destination

Evaluate the impact of the sharing economy in Chengdu

“Chengdu is a vibrant tourist destination, with its rich cultural heritage and natural beauty attracting visitors from around the world. We’re delighted to partner with the Chengdu Municipal People’s Government to bring the benefits of home sharing to this unique city and look forward to playing an active role in promoting tourism to our network of domestic and international travelers,” said Mike Orgill, Airbnb director of public policy for Asia Pacific.

“We’re excited to enter this partnership with Airbnb. As a global platform, Airbnb not only provides more diversified accommodation options, but can also help to develop the local tourism industry, while promoting innovation and entrepreneurship across the city,” said the spokesperson of Chengdu Science and Technology Bureau.

Today’s MoU signing follows recently agreed partnerships with the cities of Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Shanghai, as well as a partnership with the China Tourism Academy (CTA), highlighting our continued efforts to support cities that are looking to boost tourism and develop the sharing economy.

To date, there have been more than 5.3 million guest arrivals by Chinese travelers at Airbnb listings all over the world. Outbound travel from China grew 142% in 2016 alone and there have been nearly 1.6 million guest arrivals at Airbnb listings in China to date.